


Secrets of the Universe

by 23a



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adopted Children, Eleventh Doctor Era, Family, Family Drama, Family Secrets, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, POV Original Character, POV Original Female Character, Secret Children, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2020-11-03 20:41:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20529347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/23a/pseuds/23a
Summary: Emma is 17 years old, and has grown up with a letter from her mysterious mother that tells her her father is the greatest hero in the universe. All she has wanted is to meet him. And now, she will get her chance-but there's a catch. She cannot, under any circumstance, reveal that she is his daughter. Should go off without a hitch, shouldn't it?





	1. Prologue

_Prologue:_

_51st Century_

_River Song stared down at the device in her hands. What it was telling her was impossible. She knew that. Yet, inexplicably, it seemed to be true. She swallowed, then hid the device. She couldn't let the guards find out. She couldn't let anybody find out. Especially not the Doctor. Once he knew, his enemies would find out, and the child would be in danger. She needed a plan. Which meant she would have to let _someone _find out. It was going to be noticeable soon enough._

_Eight Months Later_

_River winced as another contraction arrived. She had to get out of here, and quickly. Once they realized she was in labor, they would sedate her and get a doctor in for delivery. If the child was born here, it was all over. It wouldn't be safe, it would grow up in this time of violence, and the Doctor would surely find out about it-and then his enemies would. She couldn't allow that to happen. She ran out of the prison, wondering vaguely if the guards had ever seen a woman escaping while in labor before. She set her vortex manipulator for the coordinates she was aiming for-Earth at the end of the 20th century-and took a deep breath, then traveled through time. When she arrived, she was in the year 2000, in New York City. With a faint smile, she realized there was a UNIT facility in New York, and that she could trace their technology. When she found it, she had to pick the lock to get in._

_"Excuse me!" someone said, but she hardly paid attention. "You can't be here!"_

_She walked past them, trying to find someone who was in charge, then winced as yet another contraction came. Two minutes. She was getting closer to having the baby._

_"Who are you?!" someone else asked._

_Finally she gave up and said, "It's in your best interest to let me see whoever is in charge here."_

_"And why is that?"_

_She turned to look at the guard and said. "Have you heard of the Doctor?"_

_"Well of course we have, everyone in UNIT has heard of the Doctor."_

_"Well, I'm his wife."_

_A minute later, she was in front of a stern-looking woman with gray hair. "You in charge, then?"_

_"That's right. I hear you are married to the Doctor?"_

_"Yeah, we married in a bit of an nontraditional ceremony in an aborted timeline where all of history was frozen in a single moment."_

_"Right..."_

_"Anyway, this is his baby that I'm about to have, and seeing as I want the baby to be a secret, as in, nobody can ever know, I'm going to need your help."_

_Three hours later, River smiled at the little girl in her arms, but sighed as she realized she would never see her again._

_"What would you like to name her?" the woman asked._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"We're making a birth certificate for her. She was born on American soil, so she is a citizen."_

_"Alright. Her name is..." River frowned. She hadn't really considered this. "Emma."_

_"Very well. Mother's name?"_

_"Melody Pond."_

_"Do you want to put a father's name?"_

_"John Smith."_

_"All set."_

_"And... she'll be safe?"_

_"Very. We've got a couple of UNIT agents who want to raise her, and she'll have medical appointments here, to avoid suspicion."_

_"Okay." River sighed. "Can I have a pen and paper?"_

_The woman obliged, and River wrote a letter to her baby girl. Holding back tears, she put the letter in the lining of her blankets, then whispered, "Goodbye, Emma." She started fiddling with her vortex manipulator._

_"Are you sure you want to time travel so soon after giving birth?"_

_"Haven't got much of a choice," she replied, and a moment later she was back in the 51st century. She held the memory wiping device she had stolen from UNIT in her hand. As the guards came by, she wiped each of their memories of her pregnancy. Then she did the only thing that would ensure Emma's safety from her father's enemies. She wiped her own memory, too.  
_

* * *

Earth, 2017

"Come on, Emma, it's Christmas!" Daniel said, his whiny voice making his sister laugh.

"Danny, I don't care if it's Christmas. There is absolutely no way I am going to play that stupid game with you. Get Molly to do it!"

"Hey!" Molly said. "I resent that."

"Sorry," said Emma.

Molly and Danny continued to bicker, and Emma went upstairs, still laughing. They were good siblings. It still felt odd sometimes, being adopted when they weren't, not to mention knowing that they were different species and Molly and Danny didn't know, but she loved them, and she loved her parents.

She pulled out the letter again. As a little girl, she had read it once a week, or more, but now that she was older, she only read it a couple times a year. She knew it by heart, anyway.

_Dearest Emma,_

_First of all, I want you to know that I love you. I have made the choices I have made purely for that reason. Now I must explain something to you: You are not human. I am part human, and partly a different species; your father is entirely this other species. I am not sure what percentage human this makes you, but you must know never to allow anyone to perform a medical examination on you who is not from UNIT. You have two hearts. And you have other abilities, abilities they can explain to you._

_My name is Melody Pond, though I am known to most as River Song. I was born in the 51st century, and I am a time traveler. Actually, my parents are only eleven or so as I write this on the day you are born, June 16th, 2000. It's all a bit confusing. Your father, now, he is a time traveler too. He's from a whole race of time travelers, a species known as Time Lords. Due to an unfortunate occurrence, he is the only remaining Time Lord. Or at least, he was. My parents, Amy and Rory, traveled with him, and due to my being-er-created on his time ship, I became part Time Lord as well. And then you were born, and you're mostly Time Lord._

_Now, Emma, your father, he is called The Doctor. He is the greatest man I have ever known. He is an explorer, going from star to star to see everything. But more importantly he is a hero, who goes from civilization to civilization, saving lives, always expecting nothing in return. If you understand nothing else, understand that. He is a wonderful man, if also a bit mad. Or a lot mad. But I love him very much. But what you must know is that as a hero, he has many enemies. And as such, it would be far too dangerous if he-or anyone-ever found out about you. I myself erased my memory of you, so that you would be as safe as I could make you. I want you to live as a normal child, at least as much as an immortal can. If you are very lucky, someday you may meet your father; I trust that you would be capable of keeping this information from him._

_I wish you all the best in life, and know, please, that I do love you. That is why I cannot risk the Doctor's enemies ever finding you._

_Love,_

_Your mother,_

_Melody_

Emma put the letter back in her pocket with a faint smile. She loved to hear about her father, the hero. She had read everything about him there was that wasn't classified, which wasn't much. Then she had hacked into UNIT's classified information and found out more about her father, as well as many other things she really wasn't meant to know. Once she was an adult, she could work for UNIT, but of course, for a Time Lord, the idea of becoming an adult at eighteen was somewhat silly. They weren't really adults until 100. She looked seventeen now, sure, but she would continue to look that way for centuries. Still, she liked her life on Earth as a normal girl. She was in her senior year of high school, and lived fairly normally. She had two parents, a brother, and a sister; Danny was a year older than her, and Molly a year younger. Danny was in college now. He went to NYU, which meant he was home all the time. Emma thought she wanted to go farther away, much as she loved her family. Maybe it was the DNA of the Doctor in her, the desire to explore. The only stronger desire she had was the desire to meet her birth parents. If what her mother said about her father was true, that he went around saving people, she thought that perhaps going to areas where there was danger would get him to come. But she was afraid. If he was such a great man, would she be worthy of meeting him? And if her mother was embellishing, would he be a disappointment? They say never to meet your heroes, and he was her biggest one.

As she pulled out her computer to do some of her winter break homework, she couldn't help but think, _Maybe I'll meet him soon._

Little did she know that out in space, a blue box was spinning wildly, about to come crashing down to Earth.


	2. The Meeting

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS with a sigh. "Another crash landing? Really? Now that is just getting annoying." Shaking his head and adjusting his bow tie, he walked out onto what appeared to be a normal street in a city. He knew he had just made quite a bit of noise, but it was night in the city, where such things did happen, so hopefully nobody would come out to investigate.

Unfortunately-or fortunately, depending on how one was to look at it-the TARDIS had not landed on just any street, but on a specific street and at a specific point so that it was just underneath a window of the Clarkson residence, specifically the window behind which 17-year-old Emma Clarkson sat working on her assignment.

She looked out of the window, eyes widening. She couldn't believe what she was seeing-was that a blue box? It looked like a blue box! It was a Christmas present, surely. Unless she was imagining it, or it was a joke of some kind. How could she be this lucky? And just when she had been thinking about him! Pulling on some shoes and a coat, she ran out of the apartment and down the stairs to the lobby, then out the back door onto the street, quickly slowing into a walk.

"Hello, sir," she said politely as she passed the man walking on the street, looking around in a bit of a daze.

"Oh, hello," he said with a smile. "I don't suppose you could tell me where I am."

"One hundred and thirteenth street," she said with a bit of a giggle. A giggle? God, where did that come from?

"Ah yes, thank you," he said with a smile. "And the date?"

She laughed again. It was him! Only a time traveler could be this confused... well, or a drunk. "It's Christmas day, sir." And my, had she gotten her present. But she needed a confirmation.

"Merry Christmas, then," the man said.

"Merry Christmas, sir. What's your name?"

"My name? Oh, well, they call me The Doctor."

"Funny name," she said, grinning widely. "I'm Emma."

"Nice to meet you, Emma."

"What are you a doctor of, then?"

"Well, you know, this and that. A doctor of everything, I guess one could say."

"Ah. And what university does one go to in order to become a doctor of everything?"

"Well..."

"I only ask because it's my senior year of high school and I'm applying to colleges, so I could use any recommendation." She laughed again.

"Why are you laughing so much?"

"Sorry. I'm just happy."

"But why?"

She shrugged. "Why not?" Then she stopped giggling. "What brings you to New York, Doctor?"

"Honestly, I got here a bit by accident. But I figure if I'm here then there must be a reason."

"Oh yes, I would imagine so." She gestured to the TARDIS. "What d'you reckon that is?"

"It's mine," he said.

She feigned surprise. "Oh, really?"

"Yes. My, er, box."

"Interesting things, boxes."

"Right... sure..."

She laughed yet again at the bemused expression on his face. Oh, this was going better than she ever could have hoped! But before she could say anything else, the sky above them began to darken, until it was an inky black, and Emma felt a chill spread over her. How was that possible? It was New York, the sky never got dark, and even if it did there should be stars. What was covering up the stars? "Well, that's unusual," she noted.

"Indeed it is," he replied, pulling out his sonic screwdriver, which removed the chill from her for the briefest of seconds. She could barely make out its lit-up tip in the dark.

"What is that, and is it going to fix the sky?" she asked.

"It's a screwdriver, and, probably not," her father replied. "But it's possible that it could, at the very least, tell me what is wrong with the sky."

"Well then, guess I'll leave you to your work, Doctor of Everything." She sighed and began to turn back inside. She couldn't stay any longer without somehow letting slip who she was. As much as it was against every fiber of her being to turn down a chance to solve a mystery, and in particular a chance to solve one with her father, she had to do it, for the sake of herself, for the sake of her father, for the sake of the universe.

"Don't want to help, then?" he asked.

She turned around, and suddenly the universe was forgotten. "Actually," she said, with a smile he couldn't see in the infinite blackness. "I would love to."


	3. Mystery Time

"Well, good," he said. "I suppose the best thing to do would be to get inside my box."

"Inside your box?" she asked, already wondering how she was going to react to the "surprise" that awaited her when she opened the door.

"Yes. Trust me, it's not as... er... strange, as it sounds."

"I trust you, Doctor."

"Well then, guess I'd better find the box. Follow the sound of my voice." She did as he requested. "Ah! Here it is!" he exclaimed, evidently having found the T.A.R.D.I.S. He pushed open the door, and light flooded into the darkness from the interior of the machine. He stepped inside, then turned back to her. "Come on, then."

Trying to suppress her grin, she stepped into the machine behind him, letting out a gasp that was only partially staged. Even knowing that the box was larger on the inside than the outside, it did not prepare her for the sight that awaited her, stepping from one world right into another. "This... this is some box, Doctor!"

He grinned. "Isn't she, though? And she's not just a box. She's a spaceship. And a time machine."

Emma raised her eyebrows. "So, what, then, you travel space and time?"

"Bingo."

"Fascinating!" She was trying her very best to pretend this was all new information, but she wasn't exactly an actress.

"Oh, yes, the universe is a fascinating place," the Doctor agreed. "But right now, there's an issue with the sky to deal with..."

"Yeah, probably a good idea to do something about that," she said with a slight chuckle.

He frowned. "You seem to be taking all this rather well."

Well of course, she had been dreaming of, and preparing for, this moment her entire life. But she couldn't _exactly_ tell him that. "Yeah, well, I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy. I've kind of been dreaming of a moment like this all my life."

"Well, trust me," he said, "The things I do are no fairy-tale."

"Depends what kind of fairy-tale you're reading, doesn't it?"

He frowned. "Not quite sure what that means."

"Well, the original fairy-tales were _quite _dark."

"But they still always had happy endings," he said.

"No. In the original story of The Little Mermaid, she died."

"Well. Guess it's like some fairy-tales, then."

"So it's dangerous, what you do?"

He nodded. "Very dangerous. Really, people are safer if they stay away."

"But you asked me to help."

He shrugged. "I needed someone to help with this particular mystery, and you seemed like the type. Once this is done, you can go on with your life as if you'd never met me."

Emma sighed. That was what she was going to have to do, and without ever letting him know that he was her father. "What did you mean, I seemed like the type?"

"The type who was clever, who could help. And who wanted to. Just that adventurous spirit."

"Know a lot of people like me, then?" she asked.

"Well, every person's different. But most of the people I associate with have that same mix of qualities. Clever. Adventurous. Only way a person can travel with me and not get killed... usually not get killed," he muttered darkly.

"So people do die, doing what you do."

"Sometimes," he answered slowly. "But to me, they always die, even when they live nice, long lives. Kind of an occupational hazard of being immortal."

Emma raised her eyebrows. "Immortal, huh?"

"It's a trait of my species. The Time Lords."

"Species. So, you're an alien, then."

"That's right."

"Wow. And, how old are you, exactly?"

He frowned. "Around 1100. But really, I've somewhat lost track. The essential thing to understand is that I'm old, very old." He looked at her. "And you are young."

She nodded. "Seventeen."

"Oh god, you're not even an adult. Do your parents know you're here?"

_The irony, _she thought to herself. "I mentioned that I was going out. If they have a problem, they'll call. Worrying is kind of their thing."

"Well, it's what parents do," he said, and stared forcefully at his console.

"You sound like you know that from experience," she said, frowning. "Do you have children?"

"No," he replied absently, "Not anymore."

"Oh." She didn't know what else to say. That hadn't been in his files. Siblings, technically, siblings of hers she would never meet. She suddenly felt a pressing need to change the subject. "So... the sky."

He nodded, spinning around with the screwdriver in his hand. "Right. This was _not _a natural occurrence. Somebody shut off the sky, somebody who wants to get the Earth's attention."

"Well, they got your attention," Emma said. "How many other people do you think noticed?"

"I'd say quite a few. UNIT should be calling any minute now."

"UNIT?" Emma feigned ignorance, then realized that, on this matter, she didn't entirely have to. "My parents work for UNIT."

He looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"Yeah. It's a government thing, right? They'll never tell me what they do."

For a moment he said nothing, apparently processing the new information Emma had given him. Then he said, "Any chance we can go inside and say hello to your parents?"

Emma frowned. Would that be awkward? Could her parents keep the secret? Oh, who was she kidding-they'd be better at it than her. "Sure. Follow me, then."

They exited the TARDIS, and Emma couldn't shake the feeling of trepidation. She was about to introduce her biological father to her adoptive parents... this was strange, undeniably and hopelessly strange. But it was also exciting, incredibly so. She was getting the adventure she had always dreamed of, and the thing she had wanted most all her life, all at once. Which meant, of course, that it had to go wrong.


	4. Introductions

"Mom! Dad!" Emma called, pushing open the door. "We have a guest."

"Oh?" her mother's voice called from the living room. "Who?"

"His name is The Doctor."

She heard the sound of both of her parents jumping to their feet, almost running out into the entrance hall. "The Doctor?" her father asked. "That's what he said? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," she said. "He's a funny man. Got a strange blue box that's bigger on the inside."

"Well, isn't that interesting. It's a pleasure to meet you, Doctor."

"Have you heard of him?" Emma asked, feigning confusion.

"I probably ought to mention, technically I work for UNIT," the Doctor explained, not that Emma needed the explanation.

"Oh."

"Yes, we've heard stories about you," her mother said. "Joanna Clarkson."

"Phillip Clarkson," her father introduced himself.

"Yes, hi. Did you happen to notice the occurrence outside?"

"Not yet."

At that moment, both of their phones rang, and they picked up. "The sky's gone dark?" Emma heard her mother ask, but she was looking at the Doctor. She wanted to know everything about her father.

"Yes, that's basically what happened," the Doctor said. "And I'm trying to figure out what's going on, with the help of your daughter here."

Emma's father raised his eyebrows at her.

"I see," her mother said. "And how did you meet?"

"I found her walking along the street near where the TARDIS landed-just outside."

"Oh, well, what a coincidence that is," her mother said. "That she was just walking outside at the time. Why don't we go and discuss what happened with the sky, and Emma and her father can have a little chat."

_Oh no. Am I in trouble?_

"So," her father said, when her mother and the Doctor were out of earshot. "You're solving a mystery with your father."

"You're my father," she said.

"You know what I mean. And don't pretend you don't consider him your father, I know you do."

"Look, Dad, I saw the TARDIS out on the street and, I mean, how could I resist? I was just going to have a little conversation with him, really, that's all, I was headed back in. But then... then the sky went dark. And I love mysteries. And it's him!"

He nodded. "I know. Everyone at UNIT dreams of getting to meet the Doctor, even though we all know that day would come with horrible things. Who knows what's coming now? That's the problem; we want you out of it. We want you safe."

"Do the people the Doctor works with usually die? He said they sometimes do... but he said usually they don't."

"That's the ones who travel with him, Emma. The ones he really cares about, his friends. The people on Earth? The ones who he only works with out of necessity? He cares about everyone, and he wants to save everyone. But he can't. Not always."

"I'm a Time Lord... or Lady, whatever, Dad. I'm very hard to kill. And even if I die, I would regenerate."

"First of all, Emma, you wouldn't quite be you anymore if you did. And second... you regenerating in front of him? He's not an idiot, he would figure out what was up. Even just being around him too long is dangerous. He could hear your heartbeat."

"I have that device to make my heartbeat sound human."

"Doesn't work if someone takes your pulse. And he's the Doctor. Who knows if he can be fooled. I want you to stay safe, Emma. Truly. I love you."

"And I love you too, Dad. In a way I can't love him, because I don't know him. But he does fascinate me, and there is a part of me that loves him too. At least the idea of him. I can handle myself. I promise I can. Can't you just let me have this one mystery? If it gets too dangerous, I'll stay out. Promise."

He looked at her for a long moment, then sighed. "Alright. I'll go talk to your mother."

She grinned as he walked into the kitchen, and the Doctor returned. "So, they're about stumped. Have no idea where the signal is coming from."

"Do you?"

"Nope. That's the fun part."

"Yeah, I guess it is. So... you work for UNIT."

"Technically. I was stuck on Earth for a bit in the 1970s, they never officially took my name off the record."

"Stuck on Earth?" She knew the vague details, but she wondered if he might tell her more of the story.

"The Time Lords got mad at me."

"Oh?"

"I was interfering in other planets too much."

"And you stopped?"

"No, they needed my help."

"Seems like a lot of people do."

"I guess it's what happens when your hobby is saving planets."

"It's certainly quite a hobby."

"Hey what's going on down here?" Daniel asked, coming down the stairs.

"Oh, I'm just helping your parents with a work thing," the Doctor said.

Danny raised his eyebrows. "You work for the government too, then?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, you work with Mom and Dad?" Molly's voice drifted down.

"Yes, sort of," the Doctor replied. He turned to Emma. "So you have siblings."

"Yep. Danny's almost 19 and Molly's 16."

"Hmm. So you're the middle child, then."

"Yeah. Is that a problem?"

"No. Just explains the little rebellious streak."

"What, are you a psychiatrist?"

"No. But I am a doctor of everything."

"But you can't actually be that. Do you really have a degree?"

"...No."

"Hmm. So it's not a title, then. It's actually your name."

"The one I chose."

"Interesting."

Her parents came back out from the kitchen. "So. Doctor. UNIT's calling an emergency meeting. Will you come with us?"

"Sure. We can get there faster in the TARDIS. Does your daughter have permission to come?"

Emma looked into her parents' eyes, pleading silently.

"Well, it is Christmas. Come on then, Emma."


	5. The Transmission

Emma grinned as she walked into the UNIT facility. She had been in here many times before, of course, but never in the meeting room. As they sat down, she glanced at the faces present. Dr. Martha Jones, the doctor who had done all of her medical examinations for the past three years (and helped fill in some stories about her father); four armed soldiers, who her father cast sideways glances at as they walked in, several other various members of UNIT she had encountered briefly, several she did not know, and, on a computer screen at the head of the table, Kate Stewart, director of UNIT. From what Emma understood, there were meetings being held simultaneously at twelve UNIT sites, and Director Stewart was observing all of them.

"Doctor," she said when he sat down.

"Hello, Kate, how are you doing?"

"Little bit concerned about the sky of my planet going dark."

"Yes, well, I can see why you would be."

"Doctor," said Martha with a smile.

"Martha Jones! It's lovely to see you again."

"You regenerated."

"Yep."

"Into the face of a child."

"Oi! Why does _everybody _say that?"

Emma chuckled. She didn't think he looked like a child, but then, he was her father, of course she didn't think that.

"Alright, down to business," said Director Stewart. "New York, what have you found?"

"Very little," said Martha. "Just that the occurrence involved a shifting of molecules in the atmosphere, but that was pretty obvious."

"But it's not really about how they shut off the sky," said the Doctor. "It's about why. What do they want?"

"Good question," said Kate. "Alright. London, what have you got?"

As they went through the sites, none of them having very much information, Emma looked at her father. She knew she wasn't supposed to be raising suspicion, but it wasn't unusual for people to be fascinated with the Doctor, was it? There was so much about him that she still didn't know. UNIT's database had told her about his work for them, about who his associates had been, but it hadn't said where he had gone or what he had done. Martha knew a few stories, some from when she had travelled with him and some from her husband, as well as some of his backstory, but there were still so. many. gaps. Rose Tyler and Donna Noble were unavailable to give her information, of course, as were her grandparents, and pretty much everyone who had travelled with him before the Time War was either dead or location unknown. And her mother... she would never meet her biological mother, she had essentially resigned herself to that, and nobody knew anything about her. Anything. He had travelled with a woman named Clara from 2013 to 2015, but she was dead now and also unavailable, plus Emma was pretty sure that he hadn't met her yet. God, the whole timeline thing was confusing to wrap her head around. Hell, her grandparents were about ten years older than her, and her mother 3000 years younger. And this was without her doing any time travelling of her own. Just the pitfalls of being a Time Lord's daughter, she supposed.

"Alright," said Kate. "Germany has isolated a signal that they believe is from the people who darkened the sky. They are sending the signal to you, New York; Doctor, see if you can decode it for us."

"Yes, mam."

"Excellent. Other UNIT sites, examine the makeup of the molecules in the sky and see what can be done about reversing it."

The meeting was adjourned, and Emma smiled widely as she followed her father, and her parents, to a room where two technicians were standing, working with some devices. "Can I see?" her father asked, and the two technicians immediately stepped aside.

He began fiddling with his sonic screwdriver.

"So, how does that thing work?" Emma asked.

"It's sonic," her father replied. "It uses sonic waves to change the nature of things. It doesn't work on wood though. A bit of an oversight, really. I do need to figure that one out, I've just never gotten around to it."

"Well, you must be busy, travelling all over space and time and all that."

"Busy... yes, you could certainly say that. So many things to do. Places to see. People to be saved."

"How many people do you think you've saved, Doctor?"

He turned to look at her for a moment. "I don't know. I don't keep track. But the entire universe on more than one occasion." He turned back. "Alright. I've almost got the signal unscrambled, I think. It's definitely a message. The question is, is the message a random one, sent out into the universe to find a planet, or is it intended specifically for the Earth? And if it's the latter, is it friendly or unfriendly? And either way, is it for the whole Earth, or a specific person who is on it? So many questions. If I can just get this to work. Come on, sonic." The signal began to break up, into words. Words that Emma recognized.

"Doctor... you will come to me... you will do as I say, or you will watch your little pet world burn. Come to me. My co-ordinates are encoded in this message, I know that you can find them. I trust that you will do the right thing."

The words were problematic enough, but they weren't the biggest concern. Her parents, and the technicians, had only confused looks on their faces as the message came out. Emma and the Doctor were the only ones who knew what it said. Because the problem wasn't just the words. It was the language, the language that the message was in. Her head translated it to English, because that was the language she had first known. But that didn't mean that she didn't recognize it. "That's impossible," she breathed out, before she could stop herself, before she could realize how terrible an idea it was to say anything.

"Why?" her mother asked, frowning. "What's impossible?"

"The transmission," the Doctor finally said, slowly. "It's in Gallifreyan."

"Oh," said Emma's other father. "That's... why is that impossible?"

"Long story," said the Doctor. "Explain later. Bigger concern." He turned to Emma. "How did you know?"


	6. A Daughter's Lie

Emma blinked rapidly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb. How did you recognize Gallifreyan?"

"Who says I did?"

"You whispered, 'That's impossible.' What else could you be referring to?"

She needed a lie, and fast. "Not because of the language. Because I heard the words. I've always been good with languages, but I understood this message in a language I'd never known."

Her mother caught on to the lie. "Emma, that's because there was a translator circuit implanted in your head."

The Doctor frowned. "Why on earth would you do that?"

"We didn't," said her father. "It was done before we adopted her."

The Doctor frowned. "You're adopted?"

"Yes."

"Are you human?"

"As far as I know," she lied.

He turned away from her for a moment, then turned back. "Well. How about I do a scan on you and we can find out what you are?"

"I'm okay, actually," said Emma. "And besides, aren't there more pressing concerns? Like the message?"

"The scan would take only a few seconds."

"Please don't, Doctor," Emma said. "I'd... like to remain believing that I am human. At least for the time being."

He frowned. "If you say so." He turned to the machine where the signal was coming out. "So. Gallifreyan."

"Why is it impossible?" her father asked, and Emma realized that her parents didn't know the things she knew about the Doctor, his stories and his life. They hadn't bothered asking Martha such things. They only knew what UNIT knew.

"Because Gallifrey is dead," said the Doctor. "The planet burned. In the Time War. There are no living Time Lords who could have sent this message."

"You survived," her mother said. "Maybe someone else did."

The Doctor shook his head. "I only survived because I was the one who burned it."

"You did what?!" Emma almost yelled. Martha hadn't told her that. Her mind raced. What did he mean, he had burned it? She had known it was gone because of the war with the Daleks, but she had always assumed the Daleks had done it. Her mother had told her that her father was a hero who went around space and time saving lives, and now she learned that he had destroyed an entire planet, an entire civilization?

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. When he spoke again, a moment later, he sounded older. "I didn't have a choice."

"Really? You didn't have a choice but to kill an entire species?"

"Emma, don't be impolite," her father said.

"It was Gallifrey or the universe," the Doctor said. "I had to make a choice. End the Time War before it consumed everything."

She looked at him, looked at his eyes. He meant what she said. He had saved the universe. But he had still committed genocide. So this was what they meant, about not meeting your heroes. He was still a hero, of course. But he wasn't a perfect one. He wasn't perfect, which of course, made sense, because nobody was. But she had always believed him to be. He was her own personal fairy tale. Now she was starting to see him as something else: a person. "Okay," she said slowly. "So you had to burn it. And nobody else survived? Nobody was off the planet? You're sure?"

"Fairly sure," said the Doctor. "There was the Master, he survived somehow, but he's dead now too. Got sucked back into Gallifrey in the last days of the war... it was a whole thing... it couldn't be him. And there are no other living Time Lords."

_That isn't true, _Emma thought. "Do any other species know the language?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No. Besides me, there is only one other person in the universe who knows Gallifreyan."

"And who would that be?" Emma's mother asked, but Emma already knew; she was asking about Emma's birth mother.

The Doctor shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

"Doesn't it?" Emma's father asked. "They could be the ones doing this!"

"My wife would never do such a thing," he said.

"Are you sure of that?"

"Positive."

"But what did they really do?" her mother asked. "I mean, it was a message. Yes, it threatened to burn the Earth, but that doesn't mean it isn't an empty threat."

"But they did it to get me to talk to them," the Doctor said. "River would have no need to do such a thing. If she wanted my attention, all she'd have to do was call me."

"You have a phone?" Emma asked.

"In the TARDIS. Kate has the number. So do Winston Churchill and Elvis Presley, mind you..."

"What?" Emma would have to ask for more stories.

"I know a lot of people."

"So your wife is a Time Lady?" her mother asked.

"No, no, she's human with slight Time Lord DNA."

"And how did she get that DNA if you were the only living one?" her father asked.

"She was conceived in the TARDIS, is there really a need for these questions? River Song did not send this message, and someone did, someone who shouldn't exist."

"Could it have been on a time delay?" Emma asked. "Sent from Gallifrey before it burned?"

"That wouldn't really make sense, would it? Who arranges a meeting on time delay?"

"Someone who's setting a trap."

The Doctor frowned. "That is a good point, actually. I don't think so, though. The High Council of Gallifrey could summon me if they wanted, and an ordinary Gallifreyan wouldn't be able to do this sort of thing, I don't think."

"So then someone did survive," Emma said.

"I suppose," said the Doctor. "And I guess there's only one way to find out who. I'm going to have to head to those coordinates."


	7. The Trap is Sprung

It was like everything was conspiring against Emma. All she had wanted was to meet her father; so she found out he had burned his own world. All she had needed to do was keep her identity secret from him; and now he suspected her of being non-human. The moment she had been dreaming of all her life was starting to turn into more of a disaster.

"You alright?" her mother asked, sitting beside her.

Emma snorted. "I don't even know how to answer that. My head hurts, that's for sure."

"Mm, want an advil?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Mom!" Emma said. "Not funny. You know that would kill me."

Her mother shrugged. "I don't know, I thought it was kind of funny."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Maybe." She sighed. "I can't believe he burned his own world. And that none of the people I talked to bothered to tell me that."

"Do you think it's information he readily volunteers?"

"He had no problem telling us."

"We were grilling him."

She shrugged. "I don't know. I think Martha knew. She just kept it from me. I wonder what else she kept from me. How much she played up the hero factor."

"He is a hero, Emma."

"I know. But he's not a perfect one."

"If you're expecting people to be perfect, you're in the wrong universe."

"Oh? Where's the perfect one."

"Inside your head?"

"Yeah. Just, the letter my birth mother wrote me... it made him out to be like a fairytale."

"It was written by his wife. For his daughter. What else would it have said?"

"He's got secrets, a whole universe's worth of them. This person, this person who threatened to burn the world just to get in touch with him... why would they need to do that?"

"Maybe they didn't. But they knew he'd come. Because he would never let this world die."

"But Dad said... that the people he works with, that they die. All the time. People like... well, like you and Dad."

"People die doing dangerous things. People die saving the world. The people around him die because he's always there when there's danger."

"And he's never there when there isn't. After this is all over, after the world is saved, I'm never going to see him again."

"To be honest, we'd kind of hoped you never would meet him. Because of that. Because that would mean you were in danger."

"Mickey said that this one time, he and Rose were with the Doctor and they met this French lady from the past, and the Doctor kept showing up in her life, but he brought this monsters with him. And she said that that was the way it worked, the Doctor and the monsters always went together. Rose thought it was worth it. She ended up trapped in a parallel world. And other people... died. Because they were friends with him. I'm his daughter. There's never going to be a point in my life when I'm not in danger, is there? From the Doctor's enemies."

"That's why we have to keep your identity a secret."

"And how's that going?"

"Not so great."

"Secrets always have a way of coming out."

"Well, let's hope this is all sorted out before the Doctor has a chance to figure out who you are."

"So he can leave, never to return."

Before her mother could reply, her father walked over to them. "Hey, Joanna, the technicians need some help with the communication device."

"Coming," her mother said, and they walked off. They were working on a device so they could hear what the Doctor heard when he headed to the coordinates, so they could determine whether the threat to the world was legitimate and possibly how to stop it.

No sooner had her parents left, then the Doctor walked by her. "Not helping them with the communication device?"

"I'm a high school student."

"Right. Well, you're a perceptive one. You had some interesting ideas about the transmission. What would be your best guess?"

"My best guess about what?"

"Who sent the signal."

"Somebody who wants your attention. You'd know better than I."

"Just like you'd know better than I what secret you're hiding?"

"I'm sorry?" She tried to stop her hearts from racing; if he noticed the heartbeat, it was all over.

"Come on. Am I really supposed to believe someone just implanted a translation matrix in your head? Who did that?"

"Probably my birth mother."

"And who was that? Where were you born?"

"I was born in New York City, Doctor. My birth mother gave me up just a few hours later. I never knew her, or my biological father. What they may or may not have done to me isn't something I can control. I have always been good with languages; I guess I have an explanation now. My parents evidently thought I didn't need to know."

"There are a lot of holes in that story."

"I suppose there are."

"Aren't you curious?"

"Always. But the world might be about to end, aren't there more pressing matters?"

"I suppose."

"Communication device is finished," Emma's father said, walking up to them. "You can go there now, Doctor."

"Excellent. I'll just go and find the TARDIS, then."

"Can I come?" Emma asked.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "You want to?"

"You asked me for my help solving the mystery, didn't you?"

"I guess I did do that." He turned to her father. "Can she come?"

Emma met her father's gaze, and he told her everything he needed to. "Fine," he said. "But you'd better not let anything happen to her."

"On my honor," said the Doctor. "Come on then, Emma."

Grinning, she followed him back to where he had parked the TARDIS.


	8. The Best Laid Plans

Stepping into the TARDIS with her father, Emma couldn't help feel like maybe, just maybe, she was where she belonged. She looked at the controls. Would she have an innate ability to understand them? Apparently Time Lords did. And her mother had literally been conceived inside this ship. She tried not to think to hard about that. "So, the coordinates," she ventured. "Where do they point?"

"Atmosphere. There's probably a ship orbiting up there."

"Oh. Interesting."

"As are you. An enigma."

"I'm just a girl." She felt her hand starting to shake with nerves. Maybe going with him hadn't been the best idea.

"A girl who can understand Gallifreyan."

"Yes."

"That is a big deal." He sighed. "Nobody else can."

"Can't anybody with a universal translation matrix understand any language?"

"Well, yes, but they're extraordinarily rare. In fact, almost all the ones that were ever in existence came from Gallifrey."

She swallowed; she hadn't quite realized how far it went. "Oh."

"After Gallifrey was destroyed, there would have been so few in existence in the universe, I just don't know how your mother could have gotten her hands on one! Especially if, as you claim, she was human. And she must have been, surely you would know by now if you were significantly non-human, you must have been having medical appointments all your life."

"Yes. Doctor, aren't we at the coordinates."

He blinked. "Right. Yes. Let's go have a chat. Geronimo!"

She couldn't help but chuckle slightly as they exited the box.

They were in a large room, with a sleek marble floor and walls made of steel. The wall opposite them was glass, and through it Emma saw the vast expanse of space. She felt suddenly a bit dizzy. "Wow."

The Doctor grinned. "Emma Clarkson, welcome to outer space."

"And welcome to you, Doctor," came a robotic sounding voice, echoing through the room.

The Doctor smiled. "Ah. A robot, are you?"

"No. Just using a voice modulator. I need not give you my identity."

"Well, I would appreciate it, seeing as you threatened to, you know, burn the Earth."

"That is... true. I did that. But mostly to get your attention, I'm probably not going to burn the Earth."

"Probably?"

"Well, I could fire a destabilization ray and break up the ozone layer around the planet, which would make it susceptible to extreme heat damage from the sun, and then use refractor technology to ignite the whole planet, but it's entirely unnecessary, and your friends listening at UNIT really need not worry."

"You know they're listening?" Fear for her parents surged through Emma.

"Yes, and it doesn't really bother me much. As long as the Doctor is listening, that's what matters."

"Yes, I'm listening. And I want to know who you are."

"It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me."

"Very well, then. I am knows as The Broker."

"The Broker?"

"Yes. People pay me to acquire things for them. Things that are difficult to acquire. That might require a little more than just a payment, like an ordinary broker would make. Things that may require, say, threatening to torch a planet. But I won't do it. As long as I get what my client wants."

"And what does your client want?" Emma asked.

"Funny you should say that," the Broker replied. "Because my client wants you."

"What?!" she and the Doctor exclaimed in unison.

"Don't worry, I am willing to pay. The planet torching thing is just my buyer's insurance."

"You can't buy a human being!" the Doctor exclaimed indignantly.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," said the Broker. "Human being. Are you sure of that?"

The Doctor frowned. "No. But how could she not know if she isn't?"

"Oh, I'm sure she knows," said the Broker. "At least, if she is the girl my client told me about, and I am pretty sure she is. I'll just need to run a couple of simple tests. If I'm right, though, she definitely knows she isn't human."

Emma felt her heartbeats increase to dangerous levels; this couldn't be happening right now, it couldn't be. How could anybody know about her? Her secret was safe. This had to be some terrible coincidence, didn't it? "I'm just a human girl from New York and you're not doing any tests on me."

"And whatever she is," said the Doctor, looking at her with an almost hostile suspicion in his gaze, "You are _not _going to buy her. No buying of people, human or otherwise. And I don't appreciate you threatening to destroy this planet, I am quite fond of it!"

"If you're so sure she's human," said the voice. "Then why not let the tests happen?"

"Because I don't want you dissecting her!"

"I've no need to dissect her, Doctor. The test is not even remotely invasive. In fact, you could do it for me, right now. Just take her pulse."

"No!" said Emma.

Now her father was glaring at her. "Why would you say that? If you really believed you were human, you wouldn't care about me taking your pulse. It's nothing, getting your pulse taken. I don't even have to do the pressure point thing, I can do it with the screwdriver."

"Doctor, don't," Emma said, tears springing to her eyes. "Please. You-you're right, I'm not _fully _human. But it doesn't matter what I am. My mother came to Earth because she wanted me to live as a human, and my family are all human, and it doesn't really matter. I pretended otherwise because I don't want to deal with my past. There's no need to take my pulse or do any tests."

He looked like he had been hit in the face by a flying object. "You deliberately lied to me, and there must be a reason why. And it must be important, because they want you."

"I don't know why they want me, Doctor," she said, and this time she was being truthful; what good had coming for the Doctor's daughter been when he didn't know she existed? And how had they even found her? And who wanted her?"

"Be that as it may," her father said, "If I'm going to get you out of this I need to know everything. So I'm going to have to do a full species assessment on you. And this screwdriver will figure out exactly what you are. So it might just be easier if you tell me."

She needed a lie. Quickly, a species she could tell him that wouldn't make him scan her to check. But deep in her hearts, she knew he wouldn't believe her unless she told him the truth. There were too many suspicious factors. "My species," she said, stammering slightly. "I'm-I'm-" Before she could even get the word out, she burst into tears. Everything, literally everything, had gone wrong. "I'm-"

"Gallifreyan," he said, and she looked up to see him holding the screwdriver as though it had burned his hand.

"Yes," she choked out. "I'm Gallifreyan."


	9. Leap of Faith

"Did you know?" He sounded like he was treading the line between crying and murder, and she was actually terrified.

"Know... what? That I was Gallifreyan? Yes, Doctor, I knew."

"Did you know who I was?" His eyes were looking right through her. She wanted to run.

She took a shaky breath. There was no point continuing to lie to him now. "Yes. I knew who you were."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Emma Clarkson, Doctor, that's not a lie. I was born in New York and adopted by the Clarkson family, and as far as my life is concerned I'm just an ordinary girl."

"But how is that possible?"

"How is what possible?"

"Being born in New York to a Time Lord when they're all dead."

"If I may interject," said the Broker, and Emma jumped. She had forgotten he was here. "They aren't _all _dead."

_Not helping, _Emma thought.

The Doctor frowned. "Well, but, I'm the only one left..." He looked at Emma suddenly, and his eyes widened, and suddenly he was the one who looked afraid. "No..." He swallowed. "River."

"Melody Pond." She felt tears spring to her eyes. "The name of my mother, according to my birth certificate."

He shook his head. "This shouldn't be possible. How could she not tell me?"

"She didn't know. She left me a letter saying she wiped her own mind, so she wouldn't know I existed. And she trusted me with one job, just one... don't let you find out who I am." She wiped away the tears as best she could. "I failed."

"No," he said, and now he was crying, and she didn't know what to think about that. "I failed you. My daughter." The word sounded foreign when he said it. "I led you straight into a trap."

"That's okay," she said. "I've been waiting my whole life for an adventure like this. And to meet you."

"Sorry if I'm a disappointment."

"You're incredible." She smiled. "Maybe not the fairytale hero my mother's letter made you out to be."

"Wouldn't expect that from River."

"She thought you were amazing." Emma looked into his eyes, even though it scared her. "I'm sorry that I lied to you."

"Why did she want you to be a secret from me?"

"She said that if my secret got out, I'd be in danger. Just like this, actually. I'm not sure how they found me out."

"But why from me?"

"I don't know."

He sighed. "I think I do. That woman. She knows my weaknesses too well."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing." He shook his head. "Doesn't matter now. I'm going to have to modify my memory, like River did."

Emma swallowed. "I understand."

"But first, we have to get out of here."

"Not likely," said the Broker. "She will be mine."

"Oh, I didn't like you before," said the Doctor. "But now? Nobody lays a finger on my daughter."

Emma felt a surge of pride run through her. _That's my father. And he's not going to let anybody take me away._

"Don't forget, Doctor. I could still burn the Earth."

"You're not hurting my planet or my daughter."

"We don't want to hurt her, Doctor. If I wanted her dead I would have already made that happen. And your kind are very hard to kill. We just need someone with her powers."

"No. I'm not selling my daughter into slavery."

"Then watch the planet burn."

Time stopped for a moment, and Emma's thoughts raced through her head. Her father would never sell her. But he would also never let the Earth die. But if it came down to it? She knew what would happen if it really came down to it. He had destroyed Gallifrey to save the universe, killed all of his people for the good of everyone. He would let her go with the Broker to save the Earth, because he was a hero. Of course, he would try to save them both. But it was possible he couldn't. And if she was going to go with the Broker anyway, at least she could spare her father the pain of having to make the choice. She stood up as straight as she could, and, trying to keep her voice steady, said, "I'll go with you."

"What?" her father said.

"I will go with you. Just leave Earth alone."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Emma," her father said quietly, so quietly that she didn't even think the people listening from UNIT could hear. "What are you doing?"

"Earth is my planet," she said, still trying to stop her voice from wavering. "I can't let it burn."

"It won't burn. But you don't have to go with him."

"Then what's the other way, Doctor?"

"I'm still working on it."

"Well, I'm going to trust you. I'll trust that you'll find a way to save me. But for the time being, I'll go with him. Just in case."

"Please," he said, and the desperation in his voice made her heart feel like it was being ripped in two. "Don't go with him. I can't... can't lose you just after finding you."

"Doctor," she said, then reconsidered. "Father. I will be alright. I have your DNA, and River Song's. Do you think I can't handle going... wherever it is they want to take me? You won't convince the Broker to let us go. But I will send you a signal of where I am, and then you can come rescue me. And I trust you will."

"And what do I tell your parents?"

"Tell them I made my choice. And I hope I'll be home soon."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"You would do it."

"But you aren't me."

"I'm no less immortal, though."

He looked her in the eyes. "You're incredible, do you know that? And, well, I'm proud of you."

"Thank you."

"I will find you. Soon."

"I'm sure you will, Doctor. After all, you have a time machine."

"How will you tell me where you are?"

"Psychic link."

"Do you know how to do that?"

"No, but you do."

He nodded. "Good luck, Emma."

"I don't need luck. I have The Doctor on my side."

And with that, she turned away from him. "So. Broker. What do I need to do?"


	10. The Rescue

Emma felt her heart beating against her chest, the four-part rhythm drowning out her surroundings. After her father had taken the TARDIS back to Earth, the Broker's ship had taken her away from it. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew that her father would come for her. She had to believe in him. For whatever else he was, he was a hero, and he wouldn't let any harm come to her. "Where are we headed, Broker?" she asked.

"You will soon see."

The time stretched on, and the steady rhythm of the ship's engine and her heartbeat faded away into the background, and suddenly Emma realized just how alone she was, for the first time in her life. Her parents and siblings were far back on Earth, as was her biological father, and there was nobody here to look out for her. She was only a child-in Time Lord development, truly still very young-and she was out on her own in the depths of space, with only a disembodied robotic voice to keep her company. It was terrifying. But it was also an adventure, and some small, small part of her was excited. She was going to see another world. And yes, she was in danger, but it was only temporary. The Doctor was going to save her.

The ship came to a halt. "Where are we?

Instead of replying, the Broker entered the chamber she was in. He was somewhat round shaped, with silvery skin. She hadn't been expecting that. "Come with me, girl."

She followed him out the door of the ship and into a garden that made her gape. There were tall stalks of purple and black plants, shiny and metallic-looking, with lime green tufts interspersed throughout. Despite the circumstances, Emma found this incredible. There was a narrow wooden path, and at the end of it a large building made of black stone. The Broker headed down the path, and Emma followed. When they reached the door of the building, the Broker lifted a large, ornate knocker and announced their presence.

A tall woman came down to greet them. She looked humanoid, except her skin was blue. "Good. You have brought the girl. Go to the office for your payment. Girl, come with me."

"Can you tell me where I am, first?'' she asked.

The woman rolled her eyes. "The name of this planet is Xisoria. But that doesn't matter. You'll be meeting with the council of this entire star system."

"I'll be... what? Why?"

"We need your assistance."

"For what?"

"What does anybody want a Time Lord for?"

"How the hell would I know?"

"Don't worry, love. You will soon find out."

She followed the woman down a long hallway. As she walked, she called out in her mind for her father.

"Emma," came a voice inside her head. "I need you to broadcast the name of the planet you're on. Think about it. And then keep doing so until I've arrived. The stronger the signal, the better chance I have of getting to you."

"Xisoria," she said in her mind.

She repeated it as the woman led her into a large chamber. A group of the blue people sat, watching her. "This is the Time Lord child?" asked one old man in the front.

"Yes," the woman replied. "The spawn of The Doctor himself."

"Did you just call me spawn?" Emma asked indignantly.

"How old are you, child?" asked one of them.

"Seventeen."

"Oh. Close enough to adulthood, then."

"Not for a Time Lord. What do you want with me? What was so important that you would have the Broker threaten to burn my world if I didn't come with you?"

"You really don't know? You're dense for a Time Lady, aren't you?"

"Excuse me?" She felt herself heating up.

"We need you to win a war, Time Lady," said one voice somewhere near the middle.

"Me? You want me to fight a war?"

"Yes. Against the Time Lords' greatest enemies."

_The Time Lords' greatest enemies? What the hell were they talking about? The only Time Lord she knew of was her father; did they mean his greatest enemy? They couldn't mean... _"The Daleks?"

"Oh good, you're less stupid than we thought."

"I don't understand. How did you know who I was? How did the Broker send a transmission in Gallifreyan? You had to have had a Time Lord working for you."

"Oh. Well, we didn't have one working for us, but we did receive an anonymous tip about you."

"What?"

"Along with the message came a very helpful translator. From Gallifrey."

"Who could have given you that?"

"We don't know."

"Well, I'm not going to fight your war for you."

"Only a Time Lord can defeat a Dalek."

"Wait. Did you say Dalek, as in singular? You're fighting a war against a single Dalek?"

"A lone survivor. And that's all it takes."

"I can't stop a Dalek. I'm just a child."

"You're just the bait."

"Wait, what?"

"You messed up our plans before. The Broker was never meant to _actually _bring you here, your father was supposed to volunteer himself in your place. But then you had to be all noble and self-sacrificing, like him, and here we are. And now he'll come here and solve our problem for us."

"So I messed up your plans by being too much like my father?"

"I suppose so."

Emma couldn't help but feel a rush of pride. Then she returned to business. "You didn't need to kidnap anyone. My father would have fought off the Dalek anyway, it's what he does. All you've done is make him your enemy."

"He'll still do it, though. To rescue you."

"You're so certain he's coming for me."

"They're not wrong," came a voice from behind her.

Whipping around, she smiled at her father. "Hello, Father."

"Hello, Emma. I believe there's a Dalek to fight?"


	11. Dalek

Emma couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. Daleks were evil, she knew that, but the opportunity to fight one with her father? It was kind of what she had been waiting for all her life. "What do we do?" she asked. "How do we kill a Dalek?"

"That's a complicated question," the Doctor replied. He turned to the council. "Where is it?"

"Ravaging the countryside, picking people off one by one."

"Alright, well... I can distract it. Probably draw it somewhere. Then... I'd say blow it up."

"Blow it up?" the councilwoman asked. "That's the best you've got?"

"Daleks are hard to kill."

"Doctor," said Emma. "If we blow it up, wouldn't you blow up, too?"

The Doctor frowned. "Well, yes, I suppose I would."

"No! There has to be a better way than you regenerating."

"Actually, I'm on my last regeneration..."

"Then there's _definitely _a better way than you dying. I'll go in there!"

"Absolutely not. I promised your parents that I would bring you home to them safely."

"Then come up with another plan, Doctor. I'm not losing you on the day we met."

"This is all very sweet and sentimental," said the council, "But the Dalek is still killing people."

"Okay, new plan," said the Doctor. "I'm going to lure it into a room, hold up a mirror, and make it shoot itself."

"And you think that's going to work?"

"I think it's worth a shot."

"The Dalek has to be smarter than that," Emma said.

"They are blinded by hatred, and therefore cannot be smart."

"Very poetic," said the councilwoman. "Get to it, then."

The Doctor nodded. "Emma, stay here."

"What? No!"

He looked at her for a moment. "Fine. Come with me. But you're staying in the TARDIS."

Smiling slightly, she followed him into the blue box.

When they landed somewhere in the planet's countryside, Emma began to feel much more scared. As she watched her father exit the box, she watched intently on the monitor screen.

"Oy! Dalek!" her father called.

As it came into view, Emma felt her heart stop. It looked strange, not like she would have expected. Its form didn't seem to be something that would radiate danger. But knowing what it could do, what it had done, made her sick to her stomach. "Doctor," said the Dalek, and its voice sent chills running down her spine.

"Dalek. What brings you here?"

"I landed here. After the war."

"And you're just killing innocent people?"

"They must be exterminated."

Hearing the Dalek say that word frightened Emma to no end.

"I won't let you do that."

"Then you will be exterminated."

It fired its ray, and Emma gasped, thinking the Doctor would not be quick enough. But as the ray went towards him, she saw a reflective gleam on his outfit. He was wearing a mirror. The beam bounced back at the Dalek, and it lit up the sky. Then it died.

"Nice job," said Emma when he came back in.

"Thank you."

They went back to the council. "The Dalek is dealt with?" the woman asked.

"Yes," her father replied. "Now we need to talk about you kidnapping my daughter. And this 'anonymous source' that tipped you off about her, and gave you a translation matrix?"

The councilwoman shrugged. "What about it?"

"It wasn't really anonymous, was it?"

"Not... exactly."

"Who tipped you off?"

"They called themselves the Master."

Emma felt her heart start to race again, and looked at her father. He showed no reaction. "Very well. What you did was wrong, though."

"What are you going to do about it?" the woman asked.

Without a word, the Doctor stepped back into the TARDIS. Emma followed. "The Master?" she asked. "He knows who I am?"

"Somehow."

"We have to go stop him."

Her father shook his head. "I have to wipe my memory of you."

"Why?"

"For the same reason River did. For the same reason she didn't want me to find out about you."

"And that is?"

"I do stupid things when it comes to family, Emma. The less people I care for, the better. And trust me, you're safer without me in your life."

"Even when the Master knows who I am?"

"I'll find him, and I'll wipe his memory before I wipe mine."

"Erase me from his memory, Doctor, but don't erase me from yours."

"Are you questioning your mother, Emma? Because I dare not question my wife."

"I'm just saying... it could be useful. For you to know I'm out here. Just in case someone else tries to kidnap me. I could call you."

He looked at her for another moment. "You make a good point."

"So you'll remember me?"

"I couldn't forget you, Emma Clarkson. Now, let's get you home."


End file.
